BELGRADE, October 13. /TASS/. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has described talks with CEO of Russia’s oil major Gazprom Neft Alexander Dyukov and First Deputy Energy Minister Pavel Sorokin on energy issues and the situation around Serbia’s oil company NIS (Neftna Industrija Srbije) as open and constructive.

"We have just completed important talks with the Russian delegations on issues of NIS and energy in Serbia. I am satisfied with the openness, constructiveness, and sincerity of the conversation. Both sides felt this way," he said in a video address posted on his Instagram page (Instagram is banned in Russia due to its ownership by Meta, which has been designated as extremist).

According to the Serbian president, the situation in his country’s energy sector remains difficult but reassured people that it won’t aggravate. "We are living through a difficult time <…>, but what I can tell Serbia’s citizens is that there will be no shortages of oil, petrochemicals or any other large-scale energy crisis in Serbia," he stressed.

In his words, Belgrade and Moscow reached understanding about next steps in the energy sector. "Our Russian friends got our message and we understood their interests and will do everything that will be in Serbia’s best tactical and strategic interests," Vucic said.

He reassured Serbia’s citizens that the authorities will continue acting in their interests. "Dear citizens, please be calm. The state is here to act for you, on your behalf, in your interests and in the interests of Serbia’s future. We will continue doing this," he added.

Dubravka Dedovic-Handanovic, Serbian mining and energy minister, said earlier that Vucic was expected to meet with Dyukov and Sorokin on October 13 to discuss the situation around Serbia’s NIS after it was targeted by US sanctions. Russian Ambassador to Belgrade Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko reassured earlier that Moscow will remain Serbia’s reliable partner and slammed the US sanctions as politically motivated.

In early January 2025, the US Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on Russian oil producer Gazprom Neft, its CEO Alexander Dyukov, and on Serbian NIS. The US has repeatedly postponed sanctions against the company since then. Restrictions came into force on October 9. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic stated on October 5 that he does not blame Russia for the sanctions against NIS and called on Moscow to find a joint solution to this problem.

NIS is one of southeastern Europe’s largest vertically integrated energy systems. Its activities include prospecting for and production of oil and gas, oil refining, selling oil products, generating and selling electricity, implementing petrochemical projects. Its production facilities are located in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary. Its majority stakeholders are Gazprom Neft (44.85%), Serbia (29.87%), Gazprom Capital (11.3%).